Vusi Pikoli allegations proof of justice system abuse – DA

Allegations made by former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Vusi Pikoli are direct proof that the justice system is being abused for political purposes, the DA has said.

“The fact that he has been prepared to make such statements publicly is to be welcomed. However, it is concerning that he is not prepared to name the individuals involved,” DA MP Debbie Schafer said in a statement.

City Press reported yesterday that in his book, Pikoli alleged he was approached by a number of people about dropping corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma.

Pikoli wrote that “those in the Zuma camp said, ‘Look man, if you can just give us a guarantee that on reinstatement you will not bring charges against the man, then the matter is straightforward.’

“They said that even if (the Ginwala Inquiry) were to recommend I be fired and the matter went to Parliament, they would simply instruct MPs not to follow the recommendation.”

Pikoli revealed that the people who approached him included provincial ANC leaders, a KwaZulu-Natal businessman and a member of the Johannesburg Bar, who approached his adviser Kalyani Pillay.

Schafer said it was vital that the member of the Johannesburg Bar be identified.

“He or she could potentially stand as a judge or other position requiring the utmost integrity in future, or could already be in such a position.

“This is clearly untenable for the credibility of our justice system,” she said.

The DA would consult with its attorneys regarding the latest evidence to support its claim that the decision to drop the charges against Zuma was politically motivated.

The party would also continue its efforts to get access to the so-called spy tapes and other documents relating to the corruption case.

The tapes, and transcripts and other documents, relate to the NPA’s decision in 2009 to drop corruption charges against Zuma.

Last month, Zuma was granted leave to appeal by the South Gauteng High Court against the order to release the tapes.

Join the conversation!

24.com encourages commentary submitted via MyNews24. Contributions of 200 words or more will be considered for publication.

We reserve editorial discretion to decide what will be published. Read our comments policy for guidelines on contributions.

24.com publishes all comments posted on articles provided that they adhere to our Comments Policy. Should you wish to report a comment for editorial review, please do so by clicking the 'Report Comment' button to the right of each comment.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Saving your profile

Settings

News24 allows you to edit the display of certain components based on a location.
If you wish to personalise the page based on your preferences, please select a
location for each component and click "Submit" in order for the changes to
take affect.

Your Location*

Weather*

Always remember my setting

Saving your settings

Facebook Sign-In

Hi News addict,

Join the News24 Community to be involved in breaking the news.

Log in with Facebook to comment and personalise news, weather and listings.